Switch-lock for ignition-circuits.



P. HOFPMANN & T. H. HUPFER.

SWITCH LOCK FOR IGNITION CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.23,1912' 1,036,1 1 5, Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

UNITED sraras PATENT onrios.

PHILIP HOFFMANN AND THEODORE H. HUIEFER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SWITCH-LOCK FOR IGNITION-CIRCUITS.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented Aug. 2c, 1912.

' Application filed February 23, 1912. -Serial No. 679,532.

full. clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to'which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the housing which incloses an ordinary form of ignition' circuit switch and showing our improved lock applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the base plate of the housing with the front portion .of said housing ,removed and showing the rear end of our improved lock in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 and showing the switchin position to connect the battery circuit contact points. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3 and showing the switch shifted into position to connect the magneto circuit contact points. Fig. 5 is a'vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig.1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the center of the lock and showing the pin-carrying.

cylinder of the lock shifted out of its neutral position. Fig. 7 is a rear elevatlon partly broken away of a disk that is carried by the rearend of the lock cylinder.

Our invention relates to switch locks for: the ignition circuits of spark-producmgmeans, which latter are in general use for igniting the explosive charge in internal combustion engines such as are commonly used on motor vehicles.

The. coil box of an ignition circnitis'gen position of the contact arms of the switch, which pin or key is inserted through an opening in the sw1tch housing. In the present types of switches the front port on of the housing of the switch can be readily removed by taking out two or more screws, and for this reason and for the reason that the switch can be shifted with an ordinary L straight pin or key, it is possible and a comparatively easy matter for an unauthorized person to shift the switch by means of a pin or similar device, or to remove the front portion of the switch housing and then shift the switch to close the ignition circuit, thereby permitting the engine to be started and the. vehicle driven.

It is the purpose of our invention to provide a simple, inexpensive form of locking means which can be readily applied to the switch housing,- and which locking means when operated will readily shift the contact arms on the switch from one position to another, and which. locking means serves to lock the front portion of the housing to the base thereof sons to prevent the removal of a part of the housing by unauthorized persons.

A further. object of our invention is to. provide means whereby the key is locked in the look when the'switch is turned so as to close either circuit, thereby preventing the keyv from'being reinoved from the. lock ex- ;cept when the switch is in a neutral position.

To the above purposes our invention consists in certain-novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter morefully described and claimed.

Referring by numeralsto the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the base of the switch housing which is in the form of a disk and constructed of suitable non-conducting material, and arranged on the front side of said disk in the usual manner is a pair of contact points 2, to which the terminals of the battery circuit are connected and a corresponding pair of contact points 3 are located on the disk, to which last mentioned contact points are connected the terminals of the magneto circuitl These contact points 2 and 3 are located at equal distances apart and are radially arranged with respect to the center of the disk- 1. Located on the lower portion of the front face of the disk is a rib 4 in the center of which is formed a notch 5. Mounted for rotation in the center of the disk 1 is a tubular journal 6, and carried by the front end thereofis a pair of radially arranged contact arms 7 spaced apart so as to make contact with either the pair of points 2 or the pair of points 3. A third radially disposed arm 8 is formed on the forward end of the bearing 6, which last mentioned arm travels over the rib 4. This arm 8 is provided with a rib -9 that is adapted to engage in thenotch 5 when the switch arms are shifted into neutral points, as shown in Fig. 2. Seated in thebase 1 and arranged around the tubular journal box is a series.

the rear edge of which rests upon the edge of the disk 1 and the two parts are'connected by screws 15 or like fastening devices. Seated in the center of the housing is a cylindrical block 16 which forms the bar rel of the lock, and arranged for rotation in said barrel is a lock cylinder 17. Seated in recesses 18 formed in the barrel 16 is a series offspring-pressed pins 19, and a corresponding series of pins 20 are carried by the cylinder 1'7. This cylinder is slotted lengthwise, as designated by 21, the walls of which slot are grooved in order to receive a key 22. The inner ends of the pins 20 project into the slot 21,, and engage in, notches formed in one edge of the key, when the latter is inserted in the lock.

The barrel 16 is positioned on the removable part of the housing so that when the switch arms 7 are shifted out of contact. withthe points 2 and 3, as seen in Fig. 2, the pins 20 occupy positions in direct alinement withthe pins 19, thereby enabling the key 22 to be inserted in or removed from the cylinder 17.

Fixed in an suitabletmanner to the rear end of the cylinder 17 is a disk 23 provided in its edge with a pair of oppositely disposed notches 24 which receive the ears or lugs 12. The ears or lugs 12 engaging in the notches 24 form a connection between the lock and the contact arms 7 so that when the barrel or cylinder of said lock is rotated, corresponding movement is imparted to the contact arms. The edge of this disk occupies a position beneath the heads 11 of the pins 10, and formed in the edge of said disk 15 a pair of notches 25, which, together with one of the notches 24, permits the disk to be disengaged from its position beneath the heads of the pins 10 when said disk with the locking means is shifted into the position seen in Fig. 3.

Fixed to the rear end of the cylinder 17 and projecting-laterally therefrom is a lug 26 thatis adapted to engage against a pin 27 carried by the rear end of the barrel 16 when the cylinder 17 has been rotated to such a degree as to position the disk 23 as shown in Fig. 3. This arrangement insures the correct positioning of the disk 23 when the same is moved into a position which will permit the removal of the front portion of the switch housing.

The front face of the removable portion of the housing above the cylinder 17 is marked Magneto, Off and Battery so as to clearly indicate the position of the switch arms within the housing, as the key isturned so as to occupy a radial position in alinement with these indications.

When the key 22 is inserted in the cyl1nder 17 the switch arms 7 occupy thepos t-ions seen in Fig. 2, and in such positlons they are out of contact with the points 2 and 3, and the rib 9 on the arm 8 occupies a' position in the notch 5, thereby holding the switch in its neutral position. WVith the switch set at Oif or in an open position the edges of the disk 23 between the notches 24 and 25 occupy positions beneath the inwardly projecting headsll of the pins 10, and as said disk 23 is fixed to the cylinder 17 and said cylinder is' in turn carried by the barrel 16 it will be impossible to remove the the left hand so as to occupy a radial position in alinement with the indication Mag neto the cylinder 17 is rotated in the barrel l6 and the switch arms 7 are shifted so as to make contact with the points 2, as shown in Fig. 3. With the parts so positioned it is impossible to remove the key 22 from the cylinder 17' for the reason that the pins 20 are carried with the cylinder 17 and when the latter is rotated said pins 20 are shifted out of their alined positions with the pins 19 and the outer ends of said pins 17 bear against the barrel 16, as shown in Fig.6. When so positioned the key is locked in the cylinder 17, and to remove said key the lock must be actuated so that the ke is in alinement wit-h the indication O and thus the switch is brought into a neutral posit1on.- When the key 22 is shifted toward to the switches and switch housings now in general use, and when the key is shifted so that the switch closes either the magneto or battery circuits, said key is locked in the switch, and when said switchis turned into a position with both magneto and battery circuits open, the front portionof the housing is efiectually locked to the base.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in-the size, form and construction of the various parts of our improved switch lock may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of our invention, the scope of which is setforth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a base, a housing detachablyapplied thereto, a series of contact points on the base, a pair of contact arms mounted. for movement on the base, a series of headed pins seated in the base, a key-operated lock on thehousing, a disk carried by arotating portion of the lockand deta'chably connected to the contact arms, the edge of which disk engages beneath the headed pins.v

2. In a device of the class described, a base, a housing detachably applied thereto, a series of contact points on the base, a pair of contact arms mounted for-movement on the base, a series of headed pins seated in vided in its edge with notches spaced apart so as to coincide with the headed pins when the contact arms are shifted into a predetermined position.

3. In a device of the class described, a base, a housing detachably applied thereto, a series of contact points on the base, contact arms mounted for movement on the base, an arm connected to the contact arms and adapted to engage the base to hold said contact arms in neutral positions, a key operated lock on the housing, a disk carried by a rotating portion of the lock, means whereby tact points, means for holding the contact arms in neutral positions and means on the contact arms for engaging the notched disk. In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses, this 17th day'of February, 1912.

PHILIP HOFFMANN. THEODORE H. HUPFER. Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, LILY R051. 

